Preview R1 - Port Adelaide @ Melbourne

Cheesey Mac

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Mar 19, 2015
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Is it? Do you have any stats on that?
Last one I remember without some memory jogging research was Ollie Wines' first game where we flogged them. Most of our away games v them in recent years have been at one of the NT venues.
Pretty sure the last time we played them there was in 2017 and they knocked us over by a couple of goals. Blustery, cold Melbourne day, remember sitting there and being really annoyed all game. Boak played well but there weren't a heap of other guys who stood up and followed his lead. Wingard hurt his ankle in the MCC members pocket late in the game IIRC.
 

Cheesey Mac

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Mar 19, 2015
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I'm feeling pretty good about this game, much more than I was feeling a few weeks ago. I am not sure why, but I think after watching the JLT game at Alberton last weekend it gave me hope that we aren't as horrible as I felt we were all summer... Those brutal last two months of last season (and the subsequent trade period) really knocked the supporter base around... I think most teams will struggle to defend early this season due to getting used to the 6-6-6 set up (so I don't think we are going to be alone there, the 6 unanswered goals against North was concerning but I don't think we will be the only team to concede a run like that early this season), and I feel like if we can hold our own in the ruck (loved what I saw from Lycett and Ryder as a tandem in the JLT) and our midfield works hard then we can make a real game of this.

Really tough opponent, and really tough way to start the season, but I'm really hopeful we can come away with a positive result.
 
Pretty sure the last time we played them there was in 2017 and they knocked us over by a couple of goals.

They got off to a flyer, leading 7.6 to 0.5 twenty minutes into the second quarter.

It was basically identical to when we play Essendon over there, except the Dees cruised to a 4-goal win instead of kicking the stuffing out of us.
 
Apr 10, 2014
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I'm feeling pretty good about this game, much more than I was feeling a few weeks ago. I am not sure why, but I think after watching the JLT game at Alberton last weekend it gave me hope that we aren't as horrible as I felt we were all summer... Those brutal last two months of last season (and the subsequent trade period) really knocked the supporter base around... I think most teams will struggle to defend early this season due to getting used to the 6-6-6 set up (so I don't think we are going to be alone there, the 6 unanswered goals against North was concerning but I don't think we will be the only team to concede a run like that early this season), and I feel like if we can hold our own in the ruck (loved what I saw from Lycett and Ryder as a tandem in the JLT) and our midfield works hard then we can make a real game of this.

Really tough opponent, and really tough way to start the season, but I'm really hopeful we can come away with a positive result.

As I said:

This game is starting to feel like Round 1, 2017 against Sydney with a few new faces in the team and all the pressure on the opposition to win and do well this year. Plus, a team that disappoints like Melbourne does could easily be vulnerable to a slip-up in Round 1.
 
This is the probably worst match preview I've ever read, but I've gotta give it to you - I love the swagger :thumbsu:

I had a whole game plan analysis thing I wanted to do with animated gifs but I couldn’t get them to load so you get the dialed in version :p
 
Mar 22, 2013
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First round win/loss record for Ken

2013- Away against Melbourne= Win
2014- Away Against Carlton = Win
2015- Away against Fremantle= Loss
2016- Home against St Kilda= Win
2017- Away against Sydney= Win
2018- Home against Fremantle= Win
2019- Away against Melbourne = ?
 

Amarula

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Agree that we need to get on top in the guts. However, we usually do pretty well with centre clearances, it’s the stoppages around the ground and throw ins that’s the big danger. That’s where Gawn and Oliver are their most dangerous.
 

Amarula

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Jun 9, 2009
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And apparently Tom McDonald hasn’t been in great pre-season form. He’s a very good key forward and his game is very straightforward mark-and-kick, so he won’t stay out of form for long.
 

Kiss from a Rozee

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Nov 23, 2018
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I think our chances look pretty good, but it’s extremely difficult to jusge the form of teams before the real stuff. I’d go as far as saying the first couple of rounds are a crapshoot, but I think that’s changed in recent years and you have a really good picture after round 3-4.

I think it’ll be a hard match to watch as a supporter, with huge momentum swings and us pushing the aggression to the max. Their midfield will get the better of us resulting in horrible runs of goals, but every time they miss we will counter punch and hopefully stay within touching distance to run them over late.

They might have more chances to win it, but we will make ours count.

Port by 25, Robbie BOG
 
Ryder and Lycett play, we will win. Melbourne have a big injury list, compared to us (see link below), but Ryder not playing changes the way we set up and play.

Lycett and Vardy did the job on Gawn in the PF. Need two blokes jumping at Gawn all day to stop him feeding their contested ball winners and to stop him running around like an extra mid like he did for most of last year.

No Ryder, then it is a lot bloody tougher

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-03-13/the-full-afl-injury-list-postjlt-update-
 

Kingfish73

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Mar 24, 2014
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JKH isn't best 22, and Harmes is looking likely to play given it was a compound fracture of the finger rather than ligament damage. Lever, May, Hannan are probably the only three missing that would have played if available.

Jetta, McDonald, Hore
Salem, Frost, Hibberd
Harmes, Brayshaw, Fritsch
Petracca, Weideman, Melksham
Spargo, McDonald, vandenBerg
Gawn, Oliver, Viney
Jones, Lewis, Hunt, Neal-Bullen

That's how I'm expecting the Dees to go into this one. Preuss may play now that May is unavailable, so Gawn can drop into the hole more often, but he was pretty shite in pre-season. Joel Smith will play ahead of one of Spargo or Hunt if he gets up in time.
Thank f### Jordan Lewis playing. That alone, port by 24
 

Kiss from a Rozee

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Bring Back the Bars
Nov 23, 2018
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Ryder and Lycett play, we will win. Melbourne have a big injury list, compared to us (see link below), but Ryder not playing changes the way we set up and play.

Lycett and Vardy did the job on Gawn in the PF. Need two blokes jumping at Gawn all day to stop him feeding their contested ball winners and to stop him running around like an extra mid like he did for most of last year.

No Ryder, then it is a lot bloody tougher

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-03-13/the-full-afl-injury-list-postjlt-update-
Spot on. I don’t think we will be completely rudderless without Ryder like last year, but having him available makes us so much more dangerous.

The same with Dixon. We are able to cover for him much better now, but when he’s back and in form he will be terrifying for the opposition.
 
Is it? Do you have any stats on that?
Last one I remember without some memory jogging research was Ollie Wines' first game where we flogged them. Most of our away games v them in recent years have been at one of the NT venues.

We are 2-8 vs Melbourne @ MCG.

We've beaten them in 2007 and 2013.

Suffice to say its not a happy match up for us.
 
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